


Ke ahi, a me ka Honua

by EarendilElwing



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, Avatar/Bending AU, Chin and Kono are waterbenders, Human Trafficking, Kidnapping, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Steve is a Firebender, bender style fighting/violence, danny is an earthbender, lou is a chi-blocker
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-28
Updated: 2016-12-01
Packaged: 2018-09-02 20:59:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8683171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EarendilElwing/pseuds/EarendilElwing
Summary: Infiltrating an underground bending tournament should have been an easy operation for Steve McGarrett's Five-0 task force, but things get complicated when one of the competitors turns out to be a former Jersey detective searching for his missing daughter.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> You asked for it - you got it!

**Ka’a’awa Valley, O’ahu**

BANG!

Adam Charles jolted awake.  In his panic, he flailed his limbs, causing his precariously positioned chair to lose its balance.  He fell to the floor with a crash, and the impact snapped him from the lingering haze of sleep and substance use.

A pair of patent leather shoes moved into his line of vision.  “Nap time's over Toast,” a gruff voice announced.  “Get up.  I got what you asked for.”

“ _Brah_ …” Adam, a.k.a. “Toast”, moaned.  “Take it easy on the wake-up call next time.”  He rolled over and pushed himself up to sit cross-legged on the floor.  He yawned and rubbed his eyes.

“Come on, Adam.  I don’t have time for this.”

“Okay, okay!”  He sniffed once to clear the stuffy feeling in his head and nose, and stumbled to his feet.  “Just let me grab a quick snack and-”

“Here,” his guest interjected.  A sandwich protected with cling wrap was deposited into his hand.  “Eat while you work.”

A slow grin made its way to Adam’s lips.  “Dude, you actually brought it?”

“Yeah and there’s six more in that box right there, each one equally delicious.  Where I come from, we take our sandwich commitments, not to mention our _deals_ , very seriously.”  The man crossed his arms and glared at him.  “I did my part; now you hold of up your end of the bargain.”

Adam unwrapped one end of his acquisition and took a bite.  His face lit up in delight at the flavors exploding on his taste buds, most of them unlike any a person would commonly find in a typical Hawaiian grocery store.  “Man, this is so much better than I thought it would be.”

“Yeah, thanks,” the other grumbled, though there was a slight twitch at the corners of his mouth.  “So - you gonna get me what I paid for or not?”

“Oh, right.”  Toast picked up his desk chair and sat down, scooting in so that he could reach his laptop.  He set the sandwich aside and logged onto the internet through a complex series of routers to cover his tracks.

“Okay, I’m all set.”  His mind stuttered to a halt.  “Uh, what was it you needed again?”

His friend uncrossed his arms and waved them around to punctuate his frustration.  “Dammit, Toast!  The roster!  The bending tournament roster and the background info on all the participants!”

“Alright!  Easy, J-Dog!”

The man went completely still, which was far more terrifying to Adam than his pacing or shouting.  “Do not call me that,” he warned.

“Geez, _brah_.  You picked it, not me.”  He snuck another bite of his sandwich.  “Can I at least call you Jersey?  This whole no-name, secrecy bullshit doesn’t work for me.”

“Fine.  Whatever.”

Adam nodded and went to work as requested, hacking into the personal files of a known criminal by the name of Sang Min.  He had done it once before, also at the request of the guy hovering over his shoulder, but the information they had searched for at the time had been nonexistent.  “Jersey” had expected that; even someone with such laughable account security as this was smart enough not to leave an electronic trail of his illegal ventures.  But what they were after now wasn’t _technically_ against the law, so Sang Min hadn’t put much effort into concealing it.

Adam’s rapid fire typing resulted in a multitude of small windows popping up on his screen.  Pictures, criminal records, internet videos, and other background data flashed on the display before they were promptly downloaded and saved to a flash drive.

Adam whistled at some of the players he came across.  “Damn, Jersey; you’re gonna have your work cut out for you.  There are some majorly powerful benders competing in this thing.”

Jersey leaned over to get a better look at the names and faces.  “And I’ll take each and every one of them down to reach my target.”

Adam shrugged and paused to sample his snack again, only to choke on it when something disturbing caught his eye.  

His friend slapped his back to help dislodged the stuck food.  “What?  Something wrong?”

Adam pounded his chest a few times, but resumed typing even as he coughed.  “Problem,” he mumbled.  With a few commands, he backtracked through the uploaded files and located the photo that had alarmed him.

“Someone you know?”

Adam rubbed his eyes with his fists and blinked to make sure he was not mistaken.  Unfortunately, when he looked again, the same familiar hazel eyes glared back at him.  “Ah - yeah.  Except he’s not a criminal.”

Jersey bent even closer to read the caption.  “Alex Rowlings…”

“That’s not his name either,” Adam informed him.  “That’s… um…”  He snapped his fingers a couple of times to jog the memory loose.  “His name is, um - Steve McGarrett!”  His raised his voice in triumph and pointed to the picture.  “He’s Five-0!”

“What the hell is Five-0?”

“ _Brah_ ,” Adam scolded.  “I know you’ve only been here like two weeks or something, but you should have at least _heard_ of them by now.”

Jersey’s unimpressed expression said otherwise.

Adam stuffed his mouth with more of the sandwich.  “Special task force,” he explained while chewing.  “They work directly for the governor of Hawaii.  Basically, they get to do whatever they want to catch bad guys.  Full immunity and means or something.”

“So they’re vigilantes with badges,” grumbled his friend.  He ran a hand through his brushed back, blond hair.  “Groups like them made my life hell when I was a cop.”

“I thought you were still a cop,” Toast mused.

The man shook his head.  “Not anymore,” he murmured.  He cleared his throat.  “So, what can you tell me about this guy?”

Adam laughed.  “Oh, dude!  He is one badass firebender.  Former military, I think, and head of Five-0.”  He reclined in his chair and waved his lunch at the screen.  “Question is, what’s he doing competing in a bending tournament under a fake name?  He probably doesn’t need the prize money.”

“Well obviously this Five-0 group has some sort of undercover op going on,” Jersey concluded.  He placed his hands on his hips and sighed.  “Which means there are probably other law enforcement officials posing as participants as well.”

“Oh.  Makes sense,” Toast agreed.  He scratched the back of his head, messing up his already untamable bedhead.  “So, uh - what are you gonna do?  That guy is totally hardcore; no one takes him on and walks away without something broken.  And if the cops are there for a takedown-”

“Doesn’t matter,” Jersey interrupted.  “I don’t care how tough this guy thinks he is, or what the police are planning.  Nothing is going to stop me from winning that tournament.”

He dropped his hands to his sides.  They curled into fists.

The ground began to shake.  Various objects throughout the room rattled, though nothing fell from their places.

“Woah,” Adam hummed.

“I will move heaven,” he smirked, “and _earth_ , to get what I want.”

His fingers relaxed, and the shaking stopped.

He reached over and clapped Adam on the shoulder.  “Back to work, Toast.  I want everything you can give me on the competition.”

Adam breathed out and nodded.  “Whatever.  Your funeral, _brah_.”

The heavy hand disappeared and Jersey backed away.  Adam wasn’t sure, but he thought he heard him whisper.

“Steve McGarrett…”


	2. Olelo ma ka Street (Word on the Street)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Five-0 team learns of an underground bending tournament that may present a rare opportunity.

**Waikiki Beach**

_A few days earlier..._

Lieutenant Commander Steven John McGarrett, head of the elite task force known as Five-0, pulled into the first free parking space he could find near an outdoor eating area and a food truck.  He shut off his Silverado and unbuckled his seat belt.  “What do you think this is about?”

Detective Lieutenant Chin Ho Kelly shrugged and likewise removed his belt.  “Not sure.  But he said it’s big, and Kamekona hasn’t steered us wrong yet.”

McGarrett stepped out of his vehicle and circled around the front.  He and Chin dodged enthusiastic beach goers and tourists as they made their way towards their destination - the semi-crowded food truck serving a variety of shrimp-based dishes and shaved ice.  They took their places at the back of the line, playing the part of hungry patrons in exchange for information.

The man behind the counter, Kamekona Tupuola, grinned when he saw them approach the front.  “McGarrett, Chin - always a pleasure to see you.  What can I get for you?”

“Hey Kamekona.  Just the usual, please,” Chin answered.  

“Sure thing, brah.  I’ll bring it out to you in a few minutes.”

After Chin paid him, he and Steve took a seat at one of the empty picnic tables, near enough to the truck as any customer would, but far enough away from others to ensure some privacy for their conversation.

Steve took the opportunity to survey his surroundings, absently searching for any potential threats.  Having been trained by the Navy SEALS, it had become second nature to analyze and identify hazardous situations or suspicious individuals, even in places that were relatively safe.

A smile spread across his lips when he saw a group of children form a circle and began passing around a ball made out of water.  Their goal seemed to be to move it back and forth as quickly as possible in the hopes that someone would lose control of it and get drenched.

Elsewhere on the beach, he saw other families splashing around in the ocean, some manipulating the element for their games while others manually fought back, protesting against unfair advantages.  Others played in the sand, using quick hand motions to coax the grains into elaborate shapes, all under the watchful eyes of experienced users and lifeguards.  A quick flare here and there caught Steve’s eye as grills were lit for burgers, steaks and fish.

“Nice day,” Chin said.  “Too bad we can’t be out on the waves.  We wouldn’t even need waterbending to surf.”

“Yeah,” Steve agreed, relaxing somewhat.  “But that wouldn’t stop Kono from showing off.”

“You’re just jealous because you’re at a natural disadvantage when we surf.”

Steve flashed his friend a mock scowl.  “Hey, I can swim and surf just as well as you waterbenders.  I just can’t make the waves any bigger, that’s all.”

Chin chuckled.  “Whatever you say, boss.”

Their conversation was interrupted by several kids running past their table.  One boy, perhaps five years old, tripped and fell hard onto his knees.

“OWW!” he wailed.

Chin got up and hurried over to him.  He knelt before the little guy.  “Hey, buddy.  Are you okay?”

The child sat back on his bottom and sniffed.  “I hurt my knees!” he cried.

Chin nodded sympathetically.  “I can see that,” he said.  “But you’re in luck.  I’m a police officer, and I just happen to know a few tricks for healing skinned knees.  Would you like to see one?”

The boy wiped his nose with the back of his hand.  “O-okay,” he mumbled.

Chin stood and looked towards the ocean, reaching out towards it with one arm, palm up.  He raised his hand higher; a basketball-sized bubble of water separated from the surface and floated upwards.  Chin moved both arms in a soft pulling motion, causing it to stretch out like a rope and fly towards him.  He reformed the water into a ball and lowered it to his chest.  Finally, he split it into two sections, coating his hands with the water like liquid gloves.

The boy gaped in awe as Chin crouched again.  “Hold still now,” he instructed.  “I promise this won’t hurt a bit.”

He touched his hands to the child’s scraped knees.  Upon contact, Chin’s hands and the water surrounding them began to glow a cool white-blue.

“It tickles,” the boy giggled.

After a minute, Chin pulled away and let the water fall to the grass beside him.  The kid’s knees were completely healed, the skin repaired with only the barest hint of scarring.

“Wow,” he exclaimed.  “Thanks, mister!”

“No problem.  Here.”  Chin helped him get back to his feet.  “You be careful now, okay?”

The boy showed him a toothy grin.  “I will!”  He waved and ran off to catch up to his friends.

Steve smirked as Chin sat down across from him once more.  “Alright, I will concede to envying _that_ skill.”

“It is a handy talent to have,” Chin concurred.  “But I think it’s a good thing you can’t heal yourself; you’d probably be even more reckless in the field.”

“I’m not reckless.  I’m just more adventurous than others.”

“Adventurous - I suppose that’s one way to put it.”

A shadow descended over the two of them, accompanied by the delicious smell of sizzling shrimp.  “One shrimp scampi plate,” Kamekona announced, setting the dish before Chin, “and one butter and garlic plate.”  He sat the other in front of Steve.

“Look’s great,” Chin said.

“Today, it comes with an extra special ingredient: some primo information.”  Kamekona pulled up a chair at the head of the table.

“What kind of information?” Steve inquired.  He kept his eyes on his friend while he shoveled the delectable dish into his mouth.

Kamekona craned his neck and glanced around.  Seeing nothing that alarmed him, he leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table.  “Okay.  So word on the street is there’s an underground bending tournament coming up in a few days, basic one-on-one duels.  Any bender can participate, and the grand prize is one hundred thousand dollars.”

Chin whistled.  “That’s a good chunk of cash.”

“True.”  McGarrett wiped his mouth on a napkin.  “But that doesn’t make it a Five-0 case.  Underground bending competitions are going on all the time.  They’re a nuisance, but most aren’t illegal.”

“Maybe not.  But this particular tournament is being facilitated by Sang Min,” Kamekona said.

That got Steve’s attention.  He shared a look with Chin and both swallowed their food.  “You’re sure about this?” he asked.

“Yeah, _brah_.  I hear some big names of the criminal variety are going to be there.  Drug lords, weapons dealers, human traffickers - they’re not just going for the money.  It’s a networking opportunity.”

“Great,” Chin muttered, reaching the obvious conclusion.  “So these scumbags can use this tournament to trade merchandise, form alliances, show off their hired muscle, or scope out the competition.”

“And _we_ could use it to organize one massive take-down,” Steve mused, eyes shining with excitement.  “Not to mention a chance to finally get our hands on Sang Min, one of the worst human traffickers in Hawaii’s history.”

Steve faced the shrimp truck owner.  “How sure are you about this?”

“Very,” Kamekona assured him.  “I’ve had street thugs coming by all week looking for info on how to sign up, all hoping to make a name for themselves.  I even had some _haole_ ask me about where he could get a fake identity so he could enter.”

“Okay, so when is this tournament taking place?” Steve asked.

“Three days from now.  The cutoff for enrolling is tomorrow night.  After the expiration, the participants only have a day to get ready; then they send you the location.  Depending on how many there are, the tournament could be spread out over a few days.”

Chin polished off the rest of his meal.  “That doesn’t give us much time,” he warned his boss.

“Agreed,” Steve said, chewing the last of his dish.  “If we want to take advantage of this, we need to jump on it quick.”

He stood and held out a hand to Kamekona.  “Thanks for the tip.”

The rotund man smiled and bobbed his head.  “Anytime, _brah_.”

* * *

  **Five-O Headquarters**

“Alright Jerry, how we doing?”

Steve’s booming voice acted as a summons for the rest of the Five-0 team and, save for one, they gathered around the smart table to confer.  

Upon returning to their base, Chin had begun to assist Jerry Ortega, a conspiracy theorist and the team’s special consultant, to put together fake identities and arrest records for their infiltration op into the bending tournament.  Steve, Chin and Chin’s cousin and rookie cop, Kono Kalakaua-Noshimuri, were all going to enter as participants to gather intel.  They also had high hopes that one of them would make it to the final round, as the winner would have the best chance to have direct contact with Sang Min.

Jerry pulled up the doctored photos of the three benders, labeled with fake names - Alex Rowlings, Daniel Yates, and Grace Satterfield.  “We’ve pretty much got everything ready.  With some help from the computer techs at the crime lab and the additional information from Kamekona, we were able to find the online sign-up.  “We’re almost ready to submit the forms.”

Chin pressed a few buttons and opened a file to display the applications.  “All that’s left is to pay the entry fee and come up with stage names.”

“Stage names?” Steve scoffed.

Chin typed in a few more commands.  Five-0’s fake info was minimized to make room for a photo lineup of all the contestants that had registered thus far.  “The website only displays basic ID’s and stage names.  Once the signup has closed, the organizers with release the final roster and everyone will be divided into duel brackets.  At that time, additional information will be made available so that spectators can place wagers.”

“I take it we’re not waiting around for that, right?” Kono asked.

“No,” Chin assured her.  “We’re running the names and photos through facial recognition and pretty much every criminal database available to see what we’re up against.”

“Safe to say the competition will do the same,” Jerry said.  “Lots of these guys probably know hackers who can give them a leg up.”

One of the office doors burst open and Captain Lou Grover joined the team around the table.  “I just got off the phone with HPD.  Lukela and I will coordinate with SWAT to set up teams around the arena once we know where it is.  We’ve been promised as much back up as we need to dismantle this operation.”

“Good,” Steve said.  “But we’ll need to play it by ear to determine the best time to move in.  The most dangerous offenders, Sang Min especially, will have private security with them at all times.  Only the top competitors are likely to get near them, so we’re gonna have to try to win this thing.”

“Easier said than done,” Lou warned.  “I’ve seen tournaments like these before in Chicago.  These duels can get pretty brutal, sometimes fatal, depending on the rules.”

Chin leaned against the table and pointed at the tournament guidelines on the entry form.  “Well supposedly, subset skills like metal or bloodbending are not allowed-”

“But these are hardened felons we’re dealing with,” Kono interrupted.  “Which really means anything goes.”

Steve turned to Chin and Kono, holding their gazes to convey the sincerity of his words.  “Guys, this could get ugly.  You don’t have to go in as fighters; you can stay back and join Lou for the final showdown instead.”

“We’re not letting you go alone, Steve,” Kono declared.

“She’s right, _brah_.  Besides, unlike them,” Chin waved a hand at the photo array, “we don’t have a reputation at stake.  The rules say the participants can surrender the duel if they want.”

Steve nodded and smiled.  “Alright.  Just as long we’re clear: we’ll all tap out if it gets too rough.”

Jerry cleared his throat.  “Okay, getting back to before, if you want to move forward on these entries, you need to pick stage names.”

Chin’s eyes roamed the screens.  “Looks like the theme is a place and animals - nothing that easily gives away what type of bender someone is.”

“Honolulu Hoary Bat, California Wildcat, the Houston Bullhorn,” Kono read aloud.

Lou shook his head and clucked his tongue.  “They all sound like high school football teams.”

Steve walked closer to the monitor.  “Hey, get a load of that one,” he chuckled, pointing to one grumpy-looking visage.  “The Jersey Dog.  Probably some low level mob rat.”

Chin enlarged the photo of the blond haired, blue-eyed competitor.  “Scott Malloy.  He’s come a long way to fight in this thing.”

“Some have come from farther,” Jerry said.  He shrunk the picture of Jersey Dog and enhanced a few others.  “There’s one from Hong Kong, Paris, Brazil…”

Kono lifted one shoulder.  “That’s assuming they used their home territories in the names.  It could also indicate their area of operation or have something to do with who they work for.”

“Right,” Chin acknowledged.  He looked around at his teammates.  “So, any suggestions?”

Jerry and Lou offered their opinions for potential code names, some of them quite ridiculous by the sound of Chin and Kono’s outraged protests, but Steve tuned them out in favor of studying his future opponents.  Some looked familiar, possibly known associates of thugs he’d arrested at one time or another, but if all went according to plan, they’d all be behind bars in matter of days, along with Sang Min.

Steve tried to focus on committing the names and faces to memory, but for some reason, he was drawn to the piercing blue eyes of the Jersey Dog.  He glared at it, at once deciding that he would not lose to this Scott Malloy, or any of the other lowlifes he’d face in the tournament.  No one would stop him from putting an end to Sang Min’s underground empire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment and kudos are always appreciated! Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more!

**Author's Note:**

> Subscribe for updates and/or drop me a line on Tumblr (see profile page for links - EmbracetheShipping is my new primary blog).


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